


Black Magic

by flukeloops



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Love Potion/Spell, M/M, Spells & Enchantments, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-10
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-08-30 03:33:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8516923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flukeloops/pseuds/flukeloops
Summary: Shiro is a witch who makes a living brewing love potions. Keith comes to his shop in need of a love potion for someone special. In order for Shiro's magic to work, he needs to get to know his client and accidentally falls in love with Keith in the process. Does he sabotage Keith's potion or let him go to be with the one he loves?





	1. Sandalwood Oil

“Okay, Hunk. I think it’s finished.” Shiro announced, chest boiling with excitement for his client. He had been working with Hunk for two weeks to get his love potion just right. Potions on TV were always so silly to him. They always featured some old lady plopping pig eyes, sheep tongues, or frog legs into a big boiling cauldron of something green. Not even Harry Potter seemed to get it right. It was no way to make a potion, especially a love potion.

Slowly, witches became tired of the misunderstanding and started to be more obvious about their power. Of course there was panic at first, but it was soon clear that there were more witches in the world than anyone realized. Fear was a nice negotiator too. Since then, the goofy portrayals started to die down. Witchcraft was taken more seriously once people learned what went into a real spell. Many people stopped panicking when they realized witchcraft could be monetized. Being a witch became trendy and corporations were more than happy to cash in. Banks tripped over themselves to fund witches who wanted to start a business. Those businesses turned into companies and in just a few years, witches had integrated into society. Shiro, like many witches, used the new exposure to start a small business of his own. Shiro brewed potions right out of his own home and sold them in a small shop he made in his kitchen.

His home was exactly how you would imagine a witch’s home would look. It was much too large for a single man and looked like it had been built long before anyone in town had been born. It sat just outside of town behind a twisting driveway sheltered by large trees. Shiro had built a brick path that lead right up to his kitchen door with a sign that read _Black Lion Love Potions._ Perched on every ledge, railing, and windowsill on and around the house were various little statues of black cats and lions. They were gifts from his customers and each one was tied to a new love story. He started out as just a general spells and potion shop, but his love potions were so effective that they exploded with popularity until he had no choice but to specialize.

Shiro beamed proudly at his latest creation. This potion smelled like apple pie on a sunny summer day. Shiro almost wanted to drink it himself. He took a ladle and poured it carefully into a bottle with his logo stamped into the glass.

“So, that’s it? It’s ready to use?” Hunk leaned over to get a good look at the amber liquid. Shiro nodded, setting the warm bottle into Hunk’s open hand.

“The last ingredient is patience.” Shiro explained. “It will only work if he is willing. It's not going to change his mind if he dislikes you, but we both know he already really cares about you.” He smiled, patting Hunk on the shoulder.

Hunk closed his fingers around the bottle tightly before tugging Shiro into a hug. Shiro startled in surprise, but eventually relaxed into the embrace and returned it. Hunk parted from him and glanced down at the potion one more time before tucking it carefully in the deep pocket of his cargo pants.

“Thanks again, Shiro. I'll let you know how it goes. “

“I have a good feeling about this one Hunk. “

On Hunk’s way out, he accidentally hit a young man in the nose with the door. The man stumbled back with a groan of surprise as he reached up to hold his nose. Hunk gasped, repeatedly asking him if he was okay. The young man waved the other off and held onto his nose. Shiro recognized who it was through the window pane. He had met Keith several times ever since he got a job at a small new age shop in town

That was another thing that had improved once witches “came out”. The availability of herbs, oils, stones, and minerals had increased and it became easier to make excellent potions locally. He did suggest that Keith come visit, he just didn’t think he would actually do it. Did handsome young Keith actually want a love potion? Maybe he just wanted to see what he was doing with the pint of sandalwood oil he bought the other day. Hunk apologized a few more times before heading on his way. Before he entered, Shiro watched Keith eye up the feline statues set everywhere.

“Keith, I’m glad you could stop by.” Shiro beckoned him inside and tilted his head to get a better look at his injured nose. Blood began to drip slowly out of Keith’s nostril and down over his lip. He sniffed in surprise and reached up to cup his nose.

“Oh, shit…” Keith hissed, looking around for a tissue box. Shiro sweeped in with a napkin and gently held Keith’s cheek as he pinched his nose firmly. “Sorry about that. I got it.” Keith insisted as he took hold of the napkin for himself. He drew away from Shiro and shared a short laugh with him.

“It’s okay!” Shiro insisted, gesturing for the other to take a seat on one of the island stools. Normally Keith would have declined, but he needed to tend to his nosebleed and sat down so he could lean his head back without risk of falling over.

\--

Keith remembered the first time he saw Shiro. He had been at his new job for a few days and was just getting comfortable when this gust of a man blew in. No, literally. The shop’s door banged against the wall, rattling the glass and making Keith jump. The wind curved in, blowing Keith’s bangs up and knocking a stack of papers with customer email addresses against his chest. Shiro looked just as surprised and flustered by the wind and took time pick white strands of hair out of the mascara in his long eyelashes. He pulled the door closed and made sure it latched so that it wouldn’t blow open again.

“Wow…” Keith breathed, tilting his head to check if the door’s window was damaged. A small crack formed in the corner of the glass; just a cosmetic problem. It was difficult to notice with the dents, scratches, and cracked red paint that decorated the old door.

“Sorry about that,” Shiro glanced back, dark eyebrows crinkling together.

“That door’s had worse happen to it than you.” Keith said with a shrug, tone joking. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Shiro looked back at Keith and nodded, stepping closer to the counter. Keith could now easily see how tall he was, his eyes resting at his duo-toned hair before they caught on the wide pink scar that stretched over the bridge of his nose. Keith quickly realized how handsome Shiro was and straightened the stack of windblown papers on the counter. While he looked down, he caught another glance of Shiro, finding a glint of metal between the cuff of his jacket and his glove. Was that jewelry?

“Sandalwood oil.” Shiro’s voice cut through his train of thought, making Keith make contact with his warm brown eyes. Keith suddenly remembered he’d asked him a question.

“Oh!” Keith leaned over the counter, pointing to an endcap on the far right. “We started carrying a new brand actually. They’re buy one, get one this week.”

Shiro’s eyebrow lifted in surprise. “That’s lucky.” He mused as he walked toward the endcap in question, which was covered in many different types of essential oil. He picked up two very large bottles of sandalwood and set them on the counter before turning to browse the rest of the store.

“Uh... “ Keith studied the bottles, at least a pint each, before looking back up at Shiro. “It’s not recommended to keep essential oils after a year. You might want to get a little less.”

By this time, Shiro was picking through a bucket of clearance gemstone shards. He looked up as a casual laugh pushed through  his broad chest. “Believe me, that’s a three month supply at most. It’s used in so many different love potions. It makes a nice base.”

Keith’s nose scrunched up automatically, “I hate the smell.” He picked up the bottle and turned it to read the label. “So, you’re a real witch?”

Shiro had picked up a small baggy from the display and was picking out gem shards to take home. “I am!” He replied, actually proud to say it now. “I specialize in love potions. I sure hope the person who gets to make one for you knows not to include sandalwood.”

Keith suddenly felt bad. He didn’t mean to insult Shiro’s work. He laughed through it. “If that’s the case, shouldn’t you get more while they’re on sale?”

The witch was making his way back to the counter, looking around for any last minute finds. “If I did that, I wouldn’t have an excuse to come see you.” He said with a charismatic smirk.

Keith felt the tips of his ears get hot as he looked down, pretending to be interested in that tricky stack of papers again. Surely they were straight enough by now.

“I’ll have to check out your shop and save you the trip.” He flirted back, lifting his eyelids to watch Shiro’s reaction.

Shiro didn’t seem physically phased by the interaction, but he did relax into a more genuine smile. Keith felt his heart speed up. Damn, he was good and it pissed him off.

“You definitely should!” Shiro agreed, “I have a lot of things I think you’ll find interesting. At least you’ll get to see what a witch does during the day.” He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. First, he pulled out a normal looking debit card. Keith wasn’t sure what he was expecting him to have. Magic bucks? Certainly not a boring looking grey card from the bank down the street. He set it on the counter for Keith to run and wiggled another card from the back of his wallet. The corners were crinkled as if he’d had it for a long time and never had a chance to give it to anyone. Shiro beamed excitedly like a handsome puppy.

The card was black with _Black Lion Love Potions_ in silver curly letters printed on professionally. It had his business’s address and phone number as well as his name. Simply, Shiro.

Shiro made a habit of stopping in frequently after that. Sometimes he would have a client with him while he patiently explained what each ingredient meant. They would pick some odds and ends and each client would have different needs. For a man who specialized only in one type of potion, Shiro sure needed a lot of different ingredients. Feathers, spices, gaming dice, and even small statues were among just a few things. One day, Shiro even asked if they could pick gravel from the parking lot. With each visit, Keith grew more curious about Shiro’s potions and even more curious about Shiro.

\--

The bleeding had stopped. Cautiously, Keith removed the napkin from his nose and slid off the stool to find a garbage can. Shiro pointed one out helpfully as he started to clean up from Hunk’s potion. He bottled what was left of the concoction, writing Hunk’s name on the front in silver Sharpie before storing it in a pantry with dozens more potions. Each one had a different name on it and was a different vibrant color.

“So, Keith.” Shiro turned to face him, a collection of beads on his wrists clicking together as he moved. The sleeves of his black sweater were pushed up, fully exposing his metallic prosthetic arm.

“Finally, I’ve got you in my shop.” Shiro grinned as he pulled a stool over to sit across from Keith.

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting.” Keith admitted, taking another glance at the whimsical clutter surrounding them.

“Well, I’m glad you stopped by.” Shiro put his weight against the island counter next to him. “Did you just come by to say hi?”

Keith looked surprised as if he’d forgotten something, “Oh!” He almost shouted. “I came for a… A potion! Love potion. Of course, because, all you sell are love potions.” Something about Keith’s mannerisms became very nervous as he let out a short laugh.

Shiro’s expression was patient as he tried not to crack a huge grin. It would have only come off as condescending. He leaned over the island and grabbed a yellow legal pad from the other side. “You’ve got someone on your mind?"

Keith nodded in response.

“Don’t be ashamed, Keith.” Shiro assured as he pulled a form out from the bottom of the notepad. “That’s why I’m here.”

Shiro handed Keith the form with some generic information collection for Keith and a little for his intended target. “Take this home and take your time with filling it out. Bring it back to me as soon as you’re ready to begin and we’ll work out a price.”

“What kind of price?” Keith asked cautiously. His crinkled eyebrows suggesting he was imagining a price much worse than legal tender.

“Cash is good, but I take credit cards and personal checks too.” Shiro assured. Keith visibly relaxed.

“How long does it take you to make a potion?”

Shiro’s eyes lit up at this question. Now came the part where he got to explain the intricate details of his work.

“Well, it’s not so much how long it takes me, but more of how long it takes _us_. My clients work one-on-one with me through every step of the process. Sometimes it takes a few days, sometimes weeks. One customer I had took 3 months to brew a potion, but she’s been happily married for almost 20 years.”

Keith looked startled. Shiro didn’t look like he was old enough to have done much of anything for 20 years, let alone run a business. “How long have you been doing this?”

“Longer than you’d probably think.” Shiro suspected much longer than Keith had even been alive. “Once you fill out that form, you’ll meet with me and I’ll figure out an ingredient list for you. Everyone’s potion is different and it’s actually more of a reflection of you than your prospective receiver. My potions do not enchant, hypnotize, or put anyone in a trance. The love they feel is already present. My potion just enhances and amplifies your positive qualities in their mind. For the most part, the ingredients on their own won’t do anything. Everything in magic is about intent and anyone can use magic. Witches just act as kind of an antenna for magical energy.”

Shiro paused to let his words sink in. Once Keith nodded in understanding, he continued.

“It doesn’t work on people who haven’t met you or don’t know anything about you. There has to be an emotional bond of some sort. Friends work well. I’ve even matched up a few enemies. As long as passion is there, it can be turned into positive romantic love. Acquaintances are a little more difficult, so make sure you spend lots of time with your recipient before giving them any potion. Do you have any questions so far?”

Keith’s head was tilted to the side as he thought, “Does it work if they’re already in love with you?”

Shiro nodded, “Couples make potions for each other all the time when they want to spice things up or get to know each other better.”

Keith nodded, expression going blank. Maybe he was fantasizing? Whatever he was doing was sort of adorable.

“Mind telling me about your intended?” Shiro asked. Keith’s reaction was silent, but immediate. He jerked up straight on his stool, his face turning completely red.

“I actually… I have to go.” Keith’s words were barely over a mumble as he stuffed the form in his backpack, “Gotta… catch the bus.” He looked up at Shiro, forcing himself to make eye-contact. “I’ll let you know?”

Shiro nodded as he walked to the door to hold it open for Keith. “You have my number. Just drop me a text and we’ll set up an appointment.”

“Yeah!” Keith rushed past him, flinging a brief awkward wave in Shiro’s direction as he jogged down the path. Shiro closed the door and let out a sigh. This was going to be a hard one.


	2. Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith begins gathering ingredients. It's off to a great start.

At first, Shiro was worried that Keith wouldn't return after leaving so hastily, but he stopped by the next day with the profile form completely filled out. Enthusiastically, Shiro pulled an entire shelf of herbs, oils, and candles for Keith to inspect. 

“Smell these and only tell me if one smells bad to you.” Shiro said, looking over his profile. The calm man from the night before was replaced by this giddy excited creature. A row of potted plants and flowers hung from a rack above the sink and Shiro busied himself with smelling each one, looking them over before looking back down at the form. Keith had started setting aside smells he didn't like Shiro glanced over to watch, nodding every so often. He grabbed his legal pad from the night before and started to scribble down ingredients. Before Keith had even finished testing smells, Shiro handed him the list. 

Keith stared down at the list for a few moments, his face slowly twisting into a confused expression. 

“Something wrong?” Shiro asked. 

“Are you sure this is right?”

“You don't like them?”

“I do!” Keith shifted his gaze to meet Shiro's worried stare. “I just thought the ingredients would be more… Magical?”

“If the ingredients themselves were magical, then everyone would be making love potions.”

Keith shrugged in agreement and handed the list back to Shiro. “So, roses?”

“Roses.”

Keith's inquisitive expression urged more information, so Shiro continued. 

“Roses-- besides being a symbol of romance-- smell nice and have an excellent oil base. Pure rose oil is hard to come by and I need a lot of roses to distill enough for the brew. Plus, most of them are red: your favorite color according to your profile.”

Keith nodded, seeming satisfied with this explanation. “You’re the professional.” Keith said in a playful tone.

“Plus, roses are nice to start with since they’re easy to come by.” Shiro took the list from Keith and ripped the page from the top of the pad. He walked it over to a line of twine stretched across his garden window with clothes pins clamped on. The clothes pins were so full of reminders, phone numbers, photos, birthday cards, coupons, and business cards that the twine sagged. Shiro redistributed some of the older coupons and threw away some expired ones in order to pin the list of ingredients with the rest of the clutter. It seemed to make sense to him because he nodded proudly, seeming to inwardly pat himself on the back for being so organized.

Keith got up from his stool and walked over to the list, taking a picture of it with his phone before grabbing his jacket. “I guess I should head out. I actually passed a flower vendor downtown. Should have roses, right?”

Shiro’s expression grew sheepish. There was more, wasn’t there?

“Well, they might have some, yeah,” he agreed, “but they probably won’t have enough. I need about…” Shiro looked up at the copper ceiling and blew his fluffy white bangs upward as he thought. “About eighteen dozen should do it.”

“Eighteen...Dozen? Or eighteen flowers?”

Shiro cracked a nervous smile. “Dozen?” He said through a squeak, eyebrows lifted in emotional submission.

“What the hell, Shiro?” Keith snapped with an expression of casual betrayal.

“Well, it is a  _ love _ potion, Keith. We’re not making punch.” Shiro said with a hint of annoyance in his voice, “I hope you don’t think I’m trying to swindle you, but making the potion won’t be as simple as going to the grocery store.” His tone relaxed as he continued,  “You don’t have to buy roses, of course. There are plenty of places you can get roses for free and they don’t have to be all the same kind. I only need the blossom.”

\--

“Siri, when do roses bloom?” Keith’s head rested against the rain covered bus window as he stared down at his phone. 

“ _ Most modern roses sold today bloom somewhat regularly throughout the growing season.”  _ Siri said. Keith nodded as if the phone could read his body language. The wind was starting to get colder and nighttime even moreso, but there should still be some roses blooming. This would be his last chance before the petals fell. 

Keith glanced at the equation he worked out on his wrist, pulling down his jacket’s sleeve to get a better look. Eighteen dozen multiplied out to be 216 blossoms. 

The first stop was the flower vendor on the main street. They didn’t live in a big town, but the community was alive and everything anyone needed was right here. Keith got off the bus and into the light drizzle outside in time to receive a text message from Shiro stating that he was able to get about 3 dozen  roses from his neighbor’s bush. Keith hoped he asked permission before taking them. That brought the number down to 180. Not bad.

The flower vendor had plenty of roses, easily well over 15 dozen, but even at $5 a dozen Keith would be spending two weeks of food budget on just one ingredient of this damn love potion. Still, he could afford some of them.

“Can I get 4 dozen roses?” Keith asked, pointing to the reddest bundles the florist had. Shiro didn’t specify, but they really did look more… rose-y than the others. 

“You’ve got someone very special, that’s for sure.” The florist commented with a knowing smile. Keith shrugged, but suddenly remembered Shiro’s smile. He remembered how cute Shiro looked when he was trying to look mysterious. He remembered how charming and patient Shiro was. That’s right. That’s why all this fuss was worth it. 

Keith just nodded in reply, paid the woman, and walked off with his armload of roses. He found a park bench down the block built next to an overlook. From where he sat, there was a beautiful view of the valley and the setting sun was reflecting off the roofs of the houses below. Ignoring the curious stares, Keith pulled out his pocket knife and started to cut the stems from the roses. Shiro had given him a box of ziploc baggies so he could keep the flowers fresh. He plopped each blossom into bags of twelve and pushed out the air to compact them. While zipping them up in his backpack, he caught sight of something red down in the valley. A very large and vibrant rose bush had grown at the bottom of the hill in the thick unkept brush that sat just below the ridge. Keith couldn’t remember seeing roses down there before, but he also didn’t really come this way very often. Perhaps they grew over the summer. Keith slung his backpack onto his back and reached for the wrought iron fence that prevented people from falling off the cliff. He jiggled it to test how well it was anchored to the pavement and-- once satisfied-- hefted himself on the narrow metal railing. Keith instantly discovered what a horrible idea it was the moment he felt his boot slip.

On Keith’s way down, a few things happened. Firstly, he felt thankful that no one had seen him fall and then immediately took it back when he realized there was also no one to call for help or assist him if he fell unconscious. He thought about Shiro and briefly wondered if making a love potion for him was really worth the pain he was about to endure. He decided that it was, but he would make his final judgement when he hit the ground. Meanwhile, his chin bounced off the iron railing as he desperately tried to grasp at the intricate details worked into the fence. His fingers only brushed over the wet metal as he slipped down. The cliff itself was luckily not a sheer drop, but a very steep and rocky hill that tore open Keith’s pants as his body scraped down the side of the ridge. Halfway down, he gave up trying to catch a grip and focused on protecting his head and face from the rose bush waiting for him at the bottom. 

The good part of landing in a rosebush was the fact that it absorbed enough of the shock to prevent Keith from breaking any bones. The bad part was the countless thorns that were now embedded and tangled in his clothes, skin, and hair. When the world finally stopped moving, Keith let out a small groan of distress as tears of pain rolled down his cheeks. Double checking that he was indeed still alive, Keith carefully sat up and freed his hair from the bush. He slid his tongue over his teeth to make sure he hadn’t broken or lost any when he hit his chin while carefully crawling out of the bush and onto the muddy crease of the valley. He leaned against the hill with a tired sigh as he checked himself over. His jacket did a good job of protecting his arms, but the misty rain now felt like acid on his hands, face, and legs. He felt a big scratch on his cheek and his right leg was a mess of blood and mud under the tear in his pants. He wasn’t even sure how bad it was just yet. 

Keith looked down the length of the valley and saw that the rose bush stretched onward for several feet, hosting much more than enough flowers. Feeling a little relieved, Keith pulled out his knife, inhaled a wad of snot back up into his nose, and knelt down to cut the blossoms carefully from the bush.

\--

“Keith! What the hell happened?”

Keith was looking down in Shiro’s kitchen doorway, looking like he had braced himself for Shiro’s reaction. The sun was now low in the sky and this soaking bloody boy was tense as he tried to look like he wasn’t shivering. Keith’s backpack was bursting with baggies of red roses as well as the reusable shopping bag he was carrying. Shiro took the shopping bag and placed it next to the neatly trimmed pink roses he’d gotten from his neighbor before pulling out a very mundane looking first aid kit from the cabinet. 

“I found roses.” Keith said in a monotone as Shiro knelt in front of him to check out the scrape on his leg. “They were down in a valley, but I kind of fell on the way down.”

“‘Kind of’ makes other understatements look bad.” Shiro grumbled, carefully rolling up Keith’s pants leg to see the damage. Keith hissed in pain as Shiro cleaned the wound with alcohol. It wasn’t as bad as it first looked with blood and dirt everywhere. “Just a scrape. I can fix this.” He assured as he hovered his prosthetic hand over the cut. His entire metal arm started to glow a faint fuschia and radiated warmth. With a satisfied smile, Shiro watched the skin on Keith’s leg repair itself rapidly. Once healed, Shiro nodded in satisfaction and looked up at a very red Keith who was staring down at him in awe. 

“For someone who works in a new age shop, you seem surprised to see physical magic.” Shiro said with a small smirk. Maybe he was a little too happy to show off for his customer. Shiro stood up and lifted Keith’s chin to get a better look at the scrapes on his chin and cheek. “Nah, I’m keeping those. They make you look dashing.”

Keith couldn’t help the nervous snort of laughter that erupted from his nose. “Sorry I just... I should probably get home.” He stammered.

Shiro instantly shook his head. “You’re not riding all the way home alone on the bus like this. Let me give you a ride home.”

“On what, your broomstick?”

“Well… yeah.” Shiro shrugged, “Is that okay?”

Keith started to laugh again until he realized Shiro sounded serious. “Wait, really?”

“It’s not like some kitchen broom. It’s really nice.” Shiro was used to people laughing, but hearing it from Keith made him feel guarded. 

“No, no!” Keith shook his head vigorously, “I think that’s really cool! I just didn’t realize that was something witches actually did.”

Shiro visibly relaxed and nodded. “Witches build their own. It’s a right of passage kind of thing. There isn’t a broom in the world like mine and there won’t ever be.”

“Do they really fly?”

“Higher than birds.” Shiro’s smile was warm. Just the thought of flying made him feel happy and eager. “Flying feels like falling in love.”

Keith snorted. “I’ve had enough of being up high for one day.” He said, scrunching his nose a little. 

“Then stay the night.” Shiro offered. “Unless your family will worry.”

“I don’t have a…” Keith trailed off as he looked toward the door. It seemed like he was thinking it over. “If I stay, would it be okay if I took a bath?”

“I would insist on it.”

\--

Once alone in the bathroom, Keith felt like he could scream. He was staying over at Shiro’s house. He was at the house of the man he was rapidly falling in love with. The same man who could heal wounds and make potions and ride on a broomstick and had gorgeous long eyelashes. Keith took in a very large breath and held it a few seconds before letting it out in a puttering sound between his lips. 

As the tub filled, he removed his clothes and checked himself over for any other injuries. A large bruise blossomed over his hip, deep purple and tender to the touch. He scrunched his nose in half a wince, knowing he’d have to favor that side for a while. For a moment, he imagined his pants partway down as Shiro’s warm mechanical hand pressed into his hip. He closed his eyes and imagined being healed by that hand and then as that hand traveled lower on his body. He imagined Shiro checking his entire body for injuries and slowly pressing tender sensual kisses to each scratch and bruise. 

“Kiss it better.” Keith whispered lewdly, feeling tight throbbing in his groin. He opened his eyes to see the boner he’d accidentally worked himself into. “Shit…” He thought about letting it go, but the thoughts of Shiro wouldn’t leave.

After holding his hand under the hot water pouring from the tub, Keith stepped back, pressing his back against the wall as he took hold of his erection. He looked up and pretended the hand warm around his dick was Shiro’s as he jerked himself off. His eyes rolled back, using his other hand to hold his mouth closed; a reminder to himself not to call out in his host’s house. When he finally came, he slid to the floor and caught his breath, looking over the mess he left on the sink cabinet. He let out a small groan, embarrassed by what he’d just done, and leaned forward to clean up.

\--

By the time Keith was done with his bath, he could smell something delicious wafting up to the second floor. He suddenly realized he hadn’t eaten all day. His mouth watered as he hastily toweled his hair, put on the dry clean clothes Shiro lent him, and went downstairs. The scent was more familiar now and he peeked his head in the kitchen door to confirm his suspicions. A picture perfect pizza sat on the stove to cool. Of course. Shiro made so many wonderful potions, it was no wonder he would also be an excellent cook. Homemade dough, probably. Keith’s train of thought felt silly as soon as he saw part of a freezer pizza box sticking out of the top of the trash bin. He was starting to realize just how much credit he gave Shiro for just about everything. It actually made him want him more.

A small silky weight pressed against the back of Keith’s bare leg and he looked behind him to see a big beautiful black cat. Her purrs were audible from the floor as she weaved between his legs.

“Oh, hi kitty.” Keith knelt down to pet her and she eagerly rubbed her cheek across his knuckles. He smiled and patted her back before carefully pulling her into his arms. She seemed fine with this as he carried her down the hall.  He caught sight of what looked like an office with a desk and computer. It seemed to be where Shiro kept track of his business. He’d never seen the rest of Shiro’s house. It was beautiful and Shiro had decorated it with the most interesting trinkets he’d ever seen. Yet, there was something oddly mundane about it. Nestled between the oddities and artifacts were action figures, sports banners, a stack of CDs, and a shelf full of store bought candles. 

Once he’d finished snooping, Keith continued down the hall and could hear a hockey game playing from what he assumed was the livingroom. He pushed the door open and found Shiro sitting cross-legged in a large plush armchair as he tapped something out on his phone. At the sight of Keith, he looked up and his expression brightened so much that it made Keith’s heart pound and his ears feel hot. That was, until he realized it was because he was holding the cat.

“There you are, Black! Make a new friend?” Shiro cooed. Black wiggled as politely as a cat could out of Keith’s arms. “C’mere, pretty girl.” Shiro clicked his tongue and patted his knee to entice her into his lap. Keith suddenly wished he was a cat.

Once Black was settled, Keith took a seat on the couch.

“Have a good bath?” Shiro asked. 

“Oh yeah!” Keith’s reply was a little bit too casual. He’d had a  _ great _ bath. 

Shiro gave a satisfied nod as he partially paid attention to the game, “I’ll try to get those roses distilled as soon as possible. Ready for ingredient number 2?”

Keith couldn’t help the small tired groan. If something as common as roses brought him this much trouble, he could only imagine what came next. “Uh… Sure.”

“Don’t worry. It’s an easy one,” Shiro assured, “Salt.”


	3. Salt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith loses his keys. Shiro accidentally goes on a date.

Shiro had almost forgotten he’d let Keith stay the night until he heard a gentle thump come from the livingroom. With Black at his feet, begging for a piece of bacon as he fried up some breakfast, he could only assume Keith had fallen off the couch. Turning the flame down a little, Shiro walked down the hall toward the living room and peeked inside to see Keith sitting on the floor, having totally dismantled the contents of his backpack. He crinkled his brow in concern and pushed the door all the way open.

“Something wrong?” Shiro asked, glancing briefly at the contents of Keith’s backpack curiously. Now on the floor was a wallet, knife, lighter, an assortment of crumpled receipts, about a dozen pens, and a very interesting looking charm. 

“I can’t find my keys!” Keith said frantically as he turned his pockets inside out. He felt around the inside of his backpack one more time as if there were a secret compartment he didn’t know about. Shiro squatted down, reaching for the charm and picking it up. At a closer look, it was easy to see it was a small red cat made of crystal. It caught the early morning sunlight from the window and reflected a red spot of light on Shiro’s forehead. Something about it was incredibly enticing to look at. He didn’t have a chance to stare for long before it was snatched from his hand.

“Sorry,” Shiro murmured, eyes still fixated on the charm in Keith’s hand. Keith dropped it back inside his backpack as he put everything else away. “It’s very beautiful. Where did you get it?”

Keith replied with a shrug. He seemed like he was in panic mode and not in the mood for talking. Shiro stood back up and looked around the room for any keys that may have fallen out of his pocket. Keith was on his knees, digging through couch cushions. Black had trotted over and was unhelpfully rubbing against Keith’s hip. 

“Maybe you left them in--” Shiro was interrupted by the smoke alarm. He jumped in surprise and dashed out of the room, tossing expletives over his shoulder as he jogged back to the kitchen. The room was just a bit smoke filled and he quickly turned the flame out from under the charred pieces of bacon before climbing the step stool that was already under the smoke alarm. After turning it off, he let out a small sigh and frowned at what was left of his breakfast. There wouldn’t be enough to make food for both of them now. 

Hearing Keith run up the stairs to check the bathroom, Shiro walked to the bottom of the staircase. “Breakfast is kinda ruined, so I’ll take you out to eat!” He called up, “We can look for your keys at the rose bush as well.”

There was a moment of quiet before he heard back a quick, “Kay.”

“Broomstick?” Shiro offered, eyebrows lifted hopefully.

\--

Shiro had never ridden the bus before, but tons of people did it ever day. Why was he so nervous? He made Keith go first, who quickly flashed the driver his bus pass and sat down before Shiro could awkwardly dig out the cash for the fare. The bus driver stared at him impatiently as he shoved dollar bills into the tiny slot. The slot wouldn’t take them at first and he had to uncrinkle them and try to shove them back in. He dropped his quarters and apologized as he bent to pick them up. The driver rolled his eyes and moved the bus into motion as Shiro fumbled them into the coin slot. He sighed in relief and moved to sit next to Keith before remembered Keith told him he’d need a transfer.

“Oh, sorry, t-transfer? Do I ask for that here or…” Shiro looked desperately into the eyes of the bus driver for some kind of help or acknowledgement. The driver just handed Shiro the small card without taking his eyes from the road. “Oh! Thank you! Sorry!” 

Keith covered his mouth as he scooted over to make room for Shiro. Once the witch settled next to him, he patted his leg in consolation. “You did great.”

“Pff, sure.”

They rode in silence for a little as Shiro took in the sights. He’d never ridden a bus before. He never had to. It wasn’t so bad. Definitely cleaner than TV shows made it out to be. Not by much of course. 

“So, your cat.” Keith began, still staring out the window. “Is she like your familiar or something?”

“My familiar…?” Shiro snorted, but tried not to laugh at Keith. He didn’t know much about witches, but at least he was willing to learn. “No, Black’s just a cat I found under my garage. Her loyalty to me rests solely on the fact that I feed her daily.”

Keith nodded. “Oh okay. Do witches have familiars?”

“Some of us do!” Shiro lit up, realizing he got to tell Keith about something very special. “Familiars are actually another type of witch. They act sort of like magical antennas. On their own, their magic isn’t very strong or even sometimes nonexistent. Once a familiar finds a witch to bond to, both of their power grows.” He explained. “Familiars are also excellent shapeshifters, which is why they get the reputation for being cats or other animals.”

Keith nodded again, finally looking over at Shiro. He wondered if he had a familiar, but was far too afraid to ask. He didn’t really want to hear about anyone being ‘bonded’ to Shiro, even if it wasn’t in a romantic way.

\--

Shiro and Keith continued to talk as they entered the large busy cafe. 

“How long do witches live?” Keith asked as they sat down.

“Depends on the witch. So long as we keep the energy of the earth flowing through us, we can live indefinitely.”

Keith snorted before letting out a small laugh.

“What? I know it sounds like mumbo jumbo, but--”

Keith fully burst out laughing, covering his mouth as his cheeks went pink. Once he was calm, he said, “I’m sorry Shiro. I’m sorry! No guy with a face like yours says ‘mumbo jumbo’.” 

For a moment, Shiro thought Keith had put a spell of his own on him. Keith’s smile from catching himself off-guard filled Shiro’s heart and his laugh made it sing. He couldn’t be mad. He was too busy thinking of ways to make that smile return some time. 

“Wait, a face like mine?” Shiro kept the casual laughter going with some of his own.

“You know,” Keith shrugged, “…You’re handsome.” His tone became private and he spoke more carefully. “So would a witch die in space?”

Shiro tilted his hand back and forth. “Not really. They would have to be careful of how much energy they used at once, but we can use the energy from any living thing.”

“So a witch would die if they were alone in space.”

“ _ Anyone  _ would die if they were alone in space.”

“How old are you?”

Shiro sat up straighter and tilted his head a little. “Older than you’d be comfortable knowing.”

“How old?” Keith pressed, his expression a mixture of seriousness and curiosity.

“I just turned 82.” He waited for Keith to flinch or cringe, but he just nodded intently. He could almost see him file the information away for later. “Is that… okay?”

“Oh, yeah. I just thought you’d be… older.” He shrugged. “You hear about witches being in their hundreds is all.” Quickly, Keith pulled his bag over his shoulder. “We should get going.” He added, tucking his croissant under his arm as he took his coffee. 

Shiro had no idea what just happened, but he was grateful the subject had changed. It was getting uncomfortable. 

\--

Down the street, Shiro looked between the swirling details of the wrought iron fence at the rose bush below and whistled. “Wow, that is a huge rose bush.” Had it always been that big? He vowed silently to pay more attention while walking downtown. 

“What…?” Keith was adjusting the croissant and coffee Shiro bought him so he didn’t drop either one. He jogged up next to Shiro and almost dropped them both. The rose bush had grown overnight, creeping up the side of the ridge until it reached the fence itself. It was twisted and wild and curling higher and higher. 

“Some kind of magic is making it grow.” Shiro realized, seeing that it was still growing before their eyes. 

“Who would…?”

Shiro shrugged, “Probably a fledgeling witch. There must be a new one in town. They tend to do little spells they think are harmless. If you think about it, what’s wrong with making roses grow? Just trying to make the world a little more beautiful. But then…” He gestured to the bush, “This happens.”

“How are we going to get down now?” Keith asked, feeling dread well in his stomach. “Can you use magic to make it smaller?”

Shiro looked at the bush that was starting to crawl through the fence onto the sidewalk and scrunched his scarred nose. “I’m not that good with plants. I tend to just make them grow more.”

“Growth spell?” The voice that came up behind Shiro was not Keith’s or even male. He turned to see a young woman. Her body was draped with designer names that seemed to be made for her tall thin frame. Her dark skin was decorated with light pink tattoos under her eyes. Her hair was so blonde that it looked almost white. This woman was definitely a witch, but Shiro had never seen her before.

“Allura!” Keith’s face lit up in relief. How did  _ Keith _ know her? “I’m glad you’re here. Do you know how to manipulate plants? I lost my keys in this bush and now it’s going nuts.”

Keith was smiling,  _ beaming _ almost! Who even was she? Shiro’s expression must have looked more sour than he realized because Allura waved at him with a kind smile. “Mind if I take over?” She asked softly, handing Shiro her coffee before pushing her sleeves up. She put her hands out, wrists jingling with the numerous bracelets dangling from them. There was a faint pinkness that surrounded the bush as it started to shrink, uncurling from the fence and creeping back down the ridge. Once the bush returned to normal size, Keith’s keys were visible in a mud puddle where he was cutting the day before.

“That’s incredible!” Keith was already climbing the fence. “Thank you so much.”

“Anytime!.” Allura said, smiling up at Keith as she took her coffee back from the flabbergasted Shiro. “You must be the witch helping Keith. It’s good to meet another one in town.” She pressed her hand briefly on his forearm, causing Shiro to smile politely. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Allura, right? I’m Shiro.” He introduced, watching Keith carefully slide down the ridge out of the corner of his eye. “I feel kind of silly. I didn’t know Keith had more witch friends.”

Allura shook her head with a small dismissive wave. “Friends? No, I’m just a regular. I specialize in purifications and barriers. Protection spells. That little new age store has the best salt crystals.”

“Salt…!” Shiro looked up at the sky for a moment. Of course. No wonder he was so desperate to find his keys. The poor thing had to get to work and he couldn’t even open the store. “You’re pretty good with plants for someone who specializes in protection.” 

Allura blinked in surprise as if Shiro had just confessed that he couldn’t count to five. “Actually, I just used a binding spell. I don’t know anything about plants except that they’re living things. Even beginner magic works on them.”  She seemed to read Shiro’s face because she added, “Oh but I didn’t mean to imply I’m better with magic or anything! I just know a lot of shortcuts.”

“Got them!” Keith was crawling back over the fence, his entire left arm covered in mud. Allura let out a charming laugh and rushed over to help him.

“We can’t leave you alone for a few minutes, can we?” She teased as Keith took her arms to help himself over the fence. He deliberately put his keys in his backpack to keep them safe and picked up his breakfast from the bench where he left it.  

“Ready to go, Shiro?” Keith asked, gesturing his thumb in the direction of his shop. 

\--

At the shop, Shiro busied himself with looking through the different minerals. Keith seemed busy opening the store, but he could definitely hear Keith and Allura’s laughter from the front end. Why did it irritate him so much? He tried to focus on the best salt crystal. He wanted the most effective potion and the more transparent the crystal, the better. 

Then he imagined the finished potion. Probably pale pink to match her pretty tattoos and clothes. He imagined them making each other so happy. She certainly seemed to make him laugh. It made his stomach flip over with dread and jealousy. She was gorgeous and lovely and… just right for Keith. Of course the potion was for her. The thought of Keith making a love potion wasn’t bad, but seeing the probable recipient of that potion put him down unexpectedly.

Shiro gathered the rest of the salt crystals and brought them to the front counter.

“I picked some good ones for you.”

Keith looked away from Allura, “Oh, thanks, Shiro.” Keith stopped fooling around and rang him up. Shiro couldn’t help but notice the shift in demeanor. Why was Keith so uncomfortable around him suddenly?

Then Shiro did something really stupid.

“So, Allura. I’d love to talk to another witch. It’s been years since I chatted with someone who  _ knows _ . How about I buy you coffee some time?

Allura blinked in surprise, a pink tint radiating on her cheeks. Her lavender painted lips lifted in a sweet smile.

“I would love to!” She chanced a flirty wink. “I have a lot I’d love to talk to you about.”

“Free now?” Shiro offered with a shrug.

Allura chuckled and rested another friendly hand on his arm. “I’d like that.” Her hand slid to the inside of his bicep as she linked arms with him.

The opening paperwork in Keith’s hands crinkled slightly in his tight grip before he stormed back into the stockroom. Suddenly, Shiro felt like an ass.

\--

“Okay, let’s first talk about the elephant in the room.” Allura started, dropping her flirty projection. Shiro sat down across from her with a soothing mug of tea. This was the second time in a three hour span that Shiro found himself in an awkward conversation at a cafe.

“Was it that obvious?” Shiro asked sheepishly.

“My gods, there may as well have been a neon sign.” She laughed. 

“I just hope it’s not as obvious to him.” Shiro let out a sigh. “I don’t want it to mess up his potion.”

“I don’t think it would. His powers are still young enough that it shouldn’t taint your work. Besides, he has a right to know! He’s young for a witch, but he’s still grown.”

Shiro coughed and dribbled tea out the side of his mouth. “Witch…?”

“Yes, of course!” Allura crinkled her brow in exasperation as she handed him a napkin, “I’m talking about the fact that he doesn’t know he’s magical.” Her expression turned scrutinous. “What were you talking about?”

The redness in Shiro’s face answered for him.

“Oh, Shiro, Shiro, Shiro. You didn’t!” Allura shook her head. “You’re falling for someone who wants a love potion for someone else?”

“A love potion  _ I’m  _ brewing. And, like you said, he’s a young witch with new powers he doesn’t know how to control. This isn’t going to end well.”

“Is that why you asked me out? To see if he would get jealous?” Allura frowned and used her napkin to hit the side of his arm, “You ass!”

Shiro groaned and slid his face into his hands. “I knowww,” he moaned. 

“Let me lay this out for you Shiro. I need your help.” Her tone was patient, but very serious. “My father started an organization that keeps a watch on new fledgelings to make sure they’re safe as they come into their power. I was called out here specifically to watch over Keith and to make sure he goes through the change with ease. Luckily, he’s spending time with an experienced witch who can keep an eye on him.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a lavender business card and handed it to Shiro. “Give me a call if anything bad happens. Young powers can be really unruly.”

Shiro took the card and slid it in his pocket. “Just here to help, right?” He confirmed in a cautious tone.

Allura laughed, “Absolutely.” She finished her coffee and stood up. “But get that little crush under control. You don’t want to see what a fledgling does with a broken heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like this fic, you can help me make it better! I'm in need of a beta reader and I'd rather have someone who has read and enjoyed the first three chapters! hmu here or send a message to shiroisthenewblack on tumblr! (or if you have some other way to contact me, feel free to do that too)


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